PBA: Bolts, Aces eye No. 2

Meralco and Alaska, coming off contrasting victories on their debut, eye a share of leadership with two others when they take on separate opponents today in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The game marked an important breakthrough for Compton against Purefoods mentor Tim Cone, who led the Aces to 13 championships before moving over to the SMC-owned ballclub.The Elite dropped their inaugural game against fellow neophyte Kia Cars, 80-66, before a huge crowd of more than 52,000 at the mind-blowing Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan and then fought tooth-and-nail prior to falling to Rain or Shine, 82-75.

The Tropang Texters, on the other hand, badly missed the services of key players Jimmy Alapag and Ranidel de Ocampo, both Gilas Pilipinas mainstays, in the opener against Barangay Ginebra, 101-81. De Ocampo was reactivated for TNT’s second game and played important though limited minutes in a 103-81 romp of the NLEX Road Warriors.

It was the first win of 9-time PBA champion Jong Uichico, who took over the head coaching job of TNT from Black during the off-season.

The Blackwater-Meralco game will come down as the first meeting between the team and two- time MVP Danny Ildefonso, who the Elite drafted highly from the expansion pool but later released to the Bolts owing to a reported contract disagreement.